


Fragrant Respite

by XV_ictorious



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Berniegard Week (Fire Emblem), Embrace, F/F, Flowers, Fluff, Happy, Kissing, Love, One Shot, Pure Sugar, Short & Sweet, Sweet, happy tears, soft
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 21:15:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24812161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/XV_ictorious/pseuds/XV_ictorious
Summary: Bernadetta brings a bundle of flowers to Edelgard's room. The two of them share a deep moment of love and appreciation.
Relationships: Edelgard von Hresvelg/Bernadetta von Varley
Comments: 4
Kudos: 32





	Fragrant Respite

A gloved hand reached up to knock on the door to Edelgard’s quarters, muffled by soft leather cushioning knuckle from wood. Clasped in Bernadetta’s other hand was a bundle of violet carnations, tied together by a loose string. They brushed up against her chin. She couldn’t wait to put them in a vase so she didn’t have to suffer the pain of just enough tickling to be annoying. A few seconds after her taps on the door, a resolute voice came from within. “Please, come in.” Bernadetta lowered her hand to turn the doorknob and push the door inward. As she did so, the sight of Edelgard brushing her long white hair facing a mirror, dressed in her emperor’s garb flooded her eyes. The image caused her eyes to shift downward to the flowers below. She rarely saw Edelgard without her stern look anymore. But now the woman left herself ever so slightly vulnerable in Bernadetta’s presence. The moment left her feeling like she’s trespassing on somewhere she was given the key to. Her hands shook a little, the flowers experiencing a minor earthquake as she stood in the doorway.

Edelgard turned her head to look over her shoulder. “Ah, Bernadetta. Please, you can come in.” She faced herself in the mirror once more. “And shut the door on the way.” Bernadetta did as she was told but when she entered the room, she stood idly. Doubt and her usual flavor of anxiety washed over her as she realized she now stood alone with the emperor in her private quarters. When she noticed Edelgard’s gaze through the mirror, she shifted her own eyes away. “You brought flowers, I see. Thank you.” Edelgard turned around fully. “Here, let me find a vase for you to put them in.” Placing her brush on the vanity, Edelgard searched her closet to pull out a deep maroon vase decorated with gold leaf feathering. “Here, use this.” She held the vase out in front of Bernadetta. She didn’t know what to do. Seeing the emperor go out of way to interrupt her routine just to fetch her a vase filled her with regret. She should’ve been the one to get it instead of bothering Edelgard about it. The worry must have manifested on her face, as Edelgard spoke again. “What’s wrong? It’s just a vase. It’s not going to hurt you.” Her own eyes carrying a feeling of worry.

Finally shaken from her inner daze, Bernadetta spoke her first words of the day, “Right. Sorry. I’ll just put them on the shelf over here.” She slid the flower stems in the vase to let the petals stick out. The purple against red offered a comforting familiarity. When she turned back around after placing the case near the window, Edelgard had already sat back down at the vanity, resuming her brushing.

“How did you know I like carnations, Bernadetta?” The uniform brush strokes in her hair were almost entrancing to Bernadetta. “I can’t seem recall telling you about them.”

Bernadetta leaned back against the shelf, fiddling with her fingers. “The professor told me.”

Edelgard sighed as she kept her rhythmic brushing constant. “I figured as much. She isn’t one for keeping many secrets.” Bernadetta noticed the brush slow just slightly as Edelgard spoke. “Not that I asked her to, of course.”

The two sat in silence. Edelgard preparing herself to be presentable by brushing out the knots in her hair so she could roll it up into her signature buns. And Bernadetta admiring the scene, glad she can see her in a moment of vulnerability and trust. When Edelgard put her brush down finally, she stood again to face Bernadetta. Edelgard motioned for her to approach, which sent a shiver down her spine. What had she done now? Are the flowers a wrong color? Did she not appreciate them? Still, Bernadetta walked up to Edelgard. When she was close enough, Edelgard wrapped her arms around Bernadetta, resting her cheek against her chest. “Thank you Bernadetta. For being here.”

Initially shocked from the contact, Bernadetta quickly wrapped her own arms around Edelgard’s shoulders, placing her chin upon the top of her head. “It’s no problem, Edelgard.” She breathed in deeply before letting out a slow breath. “I love you.”

Upon hearing the words, the grip around Bernadetta grew tighter. The silent acknowledgement sent a message of appreciation back. The two of them stayed suspended in the moment ignoring any time that may have passed within their bubble. When Edelgard finally released her hug, she looked up to Bernadetta before lifting herself up to plant a brief kiss on Bernadetta’s lips. She recoiled from the surprise attack. Though she let out a quick laugh in response. Edelgard smiled. Genuinely smiled. It didn’t last long but that image would be saved within Bernadetta’s brain for as long as she lived.

Edelgard walked over to the vase. She ran her fingertips along the petals, leaning in to take in the sweet scent. “Why purple?”

“It reminded me of your eyes.”

“Oh, Bernadetta. That’s so sweet of you. You have my thanks.” She stood straight again and spoke her thoughts freely. “I think this combination of purple flowers in a red vase reminds me of the two of us.” Bernadetta remained silent at the suggestion. She couldn’t imagine how she came to the conclusion. “We both depend on each other. Without the water in the vase, the flowers would quickly wilt. And without the flowers, the vase wouldn’t serve much purpose.” She turned around to face Bernadetta again. “Together, they create a beautiful piece of art that could not exist if not for both elements.”

A tear flowed from Bernadetta’s eye. “Edelgard…” She sniffled a bit. “I didn’t know you could be so poetic.”

Edelgard lifted a hand to Bernadetta’s cheek to dry the tear, the soft fingertips a result of calloused hands due to battle. “I don’t show this part of me to many people.” She moved her hand to the back of Bernadetta’s head, causing her to lean her face downward. Edelgard pressed their foreheads together. “But with you, I’m at ease.”

Despite her attempts, Bernadetta could no longer hold back her tears. “Edelgard.” She wrapped her arms around Edelgard once more. “You make me feel safe. I wouldn’t have been able to make it this long if you hadn’t always been there for me.”

“I love you, Bernadetta. You helped me embrace myself and learn to be kinder.” This time it was Bernadetta who leaned in to meet Edelgard in a kiss. They stayed in their embrace for another infinitely long moment. Time paused around them and the only thing that existed was the love they felt for each other. No trauma. No war. Only each other. And that was all that they needed.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Berniegard is one of my favorite pairings and I just had to do something for them this week, and the flower prompt was too good to pass up. If you'd like to see some more of my casual musings, you can follow me on twitter @xv_ictorious. I'm also open for commissions! So if you'd like to commission something from me, please fill out this form: [Commissions.](https://forms.gle/ay78UWb7D9xGcqgW8)


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